Dreaming of a Rose Christmas
by pokeman1280
Summary: Dear Santa, I haven't seen mommy in 3 years. Please bring her home Love, Ruby


**So, someone on a Facebook group wanted to get a bunch of RWBY Christmas stories together, so here's mine. (There is no connection to my other stories)**

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I looked at all the presents under the tree, and a good chunk of them were for me. There were so many, at least six… but that was five more than what was on my Christmas list, and none of them were big enough for the one thing.

I dropped off the couch and walked into the kitchen. Maybe I forgot I put other things on. I looked up at her list hung high on the fridge. But I remembered right. Mommy was the only thing on my list, just like the past two years… This was the third Christmas, and third year in a row that mommy hadn't been home…

A hand fell on my shoulder. "Ruby," her daddy said, "it's time to get to bed. Santa's coming, but he won't come if you're still awake."

I looked up at daddy. "Will Santa bring mommy home?"

Daddy's smile disappeared and he looked away. "Maybe. It is a season for miracles."

Why did he, Yang, and Uncle Qrow always get sad when I talked about mommy? "Night, night, daddy." I walked past daddy and up the stairs to my and Yang's room. If Santa brought mommy home, I needed to get to bed as soon as possible.

I pushed the door open to my room. Yang stood on her bed and looked out the window. She looked at me and she smiled from ear to ear. "Ruby! Ruby! Santa's coming!" She bounced on her bed, her pigtails jumping with her.

"I know." I went to my bed and climbed in. "He won't come if we're awake. He might bring mommy home. Please go to bed." I saw Yang's smile disappear before I turned over in bed. Maybe this would be the year. I looked out her window at the stars. Daddy and Uncle Qrow said she was up there. If anyone could bring mommy down from there, it was Santa. I closed my eyes. "Please Santa, bring mommy home." I drifted off to sleep.

…

"Ruby! Wake up!" Yang yelled. She shook me at the same time. "Santa came! Santa came!"

I rolled over and looked at my sister. Yang was so happy, her smile almost broke off her face. She bounced on the floor more than last night. Maybe… mommy was home? I smiled as well and threw off my blankets. Yang led the run out of the room. I stopped at the top of the stairs. The number of presents under the tree doubled from last night… but none were big enough for mommy to hide in. I slumped my shoulders. Maybe mommy couldn't fit in Santa's sleigh?

Yang continued down the stairs. "Daddy! Daddy! Santa came! Santa came!" She disappeared down the hall on the first floor toward daddy's room.

I kept my shoulders low as I walked down the stairs. Maybe these presents weren't so bad. Two years ago, I got a hood like mommy wore, only red. Last year, I got two cross pins mommy had. What were in my presents this year? I made my way to the couch and sat down. Yang joined me with a big hug later. We just had to wait for daddy.

A few minutes later, he left his room and started handing out presents. I waited patiently for the space beneath the tree to be empty, but Yang tried to peel open a few of her presents without anyone noticing. Both of us had a huge stack of presents, and daddy had a nice pile too, with another one for Uncle Qrow when he came.

As soon as daddy sat down, me and Yang tore into our presents. I got a few cool things, like movies or toy guns while Yang got a bunch of Flame Wheel cars and a couple video games. Of course, we all got socks and underwear from Santa, even daddy… why did Santa always do that?

My last present was one of the smaller ones from daddy. I tore off the paper and revealed a small, square box. I opened the lid… and the metal rose that mommy always wore on her weapon belt rested on the tissue paper. I brought a hand to my mouth and used the other to grab the rose.

Daddy put a hand on my shoulder. "Mommy got hers when she was about your age. I believe she'd want you to have one of her own."

"Thank you, daddy." I hugged the rose and rocked from side to side. "I love it."

"When's Uncle Qrow gonna be here?" Yang asked.

Daddy looked at a clock on the wall. "That's a good question. He should have been here by now. I'll call him." He stood up and picked up his Scroll. I hopped off the couch and ran to the window. Not only would I see when Uncle Qrow came, but I'd see if Santa dropped off mommy too.

The sun rose and the shadows moved, but no one walked up to the house. Cars drove by on the dirt road a ways away, but none turned toward the house. I didn't even see any airships in the sky, or deer in the trees. My eyes grew watery as the sky turned orange. Santa wasn't bringing mommy back this year, and it didn't look like Uncle Qrow was coming either.

Just as I was about to turn away, I saw two people walking up the path to their house. Judging from the hair and the sword hilt on his back, one of them was Uncle Qrow. The other had an arm over Uncle Qrow's shoulders and wore a… white… hood… I climbed up the windowsill and pressed my face against the glass. The two outside continued to walk toward the house. Uncle Qrow looked up then pointed at me. The other person looked at Qrow, then raised their head.

Even from so much of a distance and after so long, I would recognize that face anywhere. "Mommy!" I pushed myself off the window, opened the front door, and ran out. I didn't care that I didn't have boots on in the two-inch-deep snow.

Mommy pulled away from Uncle Qrow and she ran forward, though one of her legs dipped farther in the snow than the other. She fell to her knees and held her arms out. "Mommy!" I jumped on mommy and gave her the biggest hug I could. "I missed you, mommy."

"I missed you to, Ruby." Mommy returned the hug and kissed the top of my head. I buried my face deeper into mommy's chest. "I missed you so much."

I looked up at mommy and giggled. "Mommy, it's not my birthday. It's Christmas! Not Halloween." I reached up to take off the eyepatch over mommy's left eye.

Mommy jerked away and covered her eyepatch with a hand. "Sorry, Ruby. I… became a pirate when I was away, and pirates never reveal what's behind their eyepatches." She smiled and booped my nose. "And don't you forget it."

"Mommy?" Yang said from behind me.

"Yang?" Mommy looked up and took an arm off my back. Yang slammed into my back and side. Mommy hugged both of us and kissed Yang's forehead. "I missed you, Yang. Have you been good to your little sister?" Yang nodded like a bobblehead.

Mommy looked between me and Yang. "Wait a second, why aren't you two wearing boots or jackets?" I bit my lips. "Let's get you two inside. You'll catch a cold."

"Okay!" I let go of mommy and looked at Uncle Qrow. I threw myself at his legs. "Thank you, Uncle Qrow! This is the best Christmas ever!"

"I try, kiddo." Uncle Qrow ruffled my hair. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas!" I let go of my Uncle and faced mommy again.

Mommy and Yang were whispering to each other. I didn't hear most of it, but I did hear mommy say "…for Ruby." Yang wiped a hand beneath her eyes and nodded.

"What's for me?" I asked as I returned to mommy.

"Oh." Mommy smiled at me. "You pointed out that it's Christmas. I have some gifts for you and your sister."

"Yay!" I jumped on mommy again and rubbed my face against hers.

"Gem," mommy rubbed my hair, "mommy's tired. Can I go inside?" I gave mommy one last squeeze, then let go.

"Sum?" Uncle Qrow walked over and tapped mommy's shoulder. "You might want to look up."

Mommy raised her head and she stood up. "Tai?" I looked where mommy did. Daddy slowly walked out of the house toward mommy. Then mommy ran toward daddy with that weird sinking run. They hugged and they… kissed. I looked away and stuck my tongue out. Why did they always do that?

"Ruby, Yang," Daddy said while looking over mommy's shoulder, "Didn't mommy tell you to get inside?"

"Oh. Yeah." I ran inside with Yang right behind me. Inside, I turned around and hugged Yang. "Mommy's home! Mommy's home!" I squealed and tried to jump around, but Yang stayed on the ground. I pulled back. "Yang, aren't you happy?"

"I am, but…" Yang sniffed. "Why was she gone so long? I missed her. We both did."

"Yang, she was a pirate! She's probably found some cool treasure!" I cocked my head. "Probably why she's walking funny too."

"Yeah… probably." Yang looked away. "I'm gonna make mommy hot chocolate."

"Good idea. Oh! I'll go get her my blanket!" I ran upstairs to my room. Mommy always liked having my blanket. I peeled my favorite blanket from my bed, then ran back downstairs. Daddy and mommy now sat on the couch. I walked up to mommy and handed my blanket over. "Here you go, mommy."

"Thank you, Gem." Mommy took the blanket and wrapped herself in it. "So comfy. So warm."

I jumped onto the couch and hugged mommy. "Warmer now?"

"Yes… Ruby?" Mommy's voice sounded weird. I looked up at mommy's face. Tears fell from mommy's eye, and the eye itself was red. Mommy kissed my forehead over and over. "I missed you, Ruby. I thought I'd never see you again."

"What?" I cocked my head.

Mommy stared at me a little more, then she smiled again. "I was made captain on the ship. I couldn't leave the crew without a captain. It took until last week for someone to step up… But I thought about everyone here every day. I wanted to come home so much. I just couldn't."

"I forgive you." I laid my head on mommy's chest and closed my eyes. "Welcome home, mommy. Best Christmas ever!"

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 **Ahhh, a bunch of fluff, and nothing bad ever happened. EVER.**


End file.
